The corpus of research on American ministers suggests that Protestant pastors tend to be more politically liberal than their congregations. This is often positioned as a potential point of conflict between ordained leaders and church membership.
In the United States, the 2022-2023 Mainline Protestant Clergy Survey released data based on interviews with over 3000 pastors who lead congregations. Survey results demonstrate that Protestant pastors have a stronger tendency to identify as Democrats (49%) compared to general population churchgoers (24%); while 14% of Protestant clergy identify as Republicans, compared to 36% of churchgoers.
From this background emerges a constellation of questions around one central theme: how do the clergy address contemporary political issues?
This study will build upon the findings of the Mainline Protestant Clergy Survey by asking a select group of clergy how they address political issues in their personal lives as private citizens, and as leaders of congregations. Is their approach to politics part of their spiritual health, or a matter unrelated to their religious practice?
The focus of this oral presentation will be clergy from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. As a complicating factor, a 2025 tax code change now allows religious institutions to campaign for candidates, opening the door for different types of political activity within churches.